


Baby Love

by KatrinaKenyon



Category: Private Practice
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-24
Updated: 2013-01-23
Packaged: 2017-11-26 16:48:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,028
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/652368
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KatrinaKenyon/pseuds/KatrinaKenyon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What if Charlotte had been pregnant in 2x09 Know When to Fold?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Part One** _:_ **Prologue**

_I do not cry. I do not cry. I do not cry. I do not cry. I do not cry._

Or at least that’s what Charlotte tells herself. It’s been close to two weeks since Cooper cut her out of his life. She apologized a million times. She frickin’ covered herself in frosting for him and still nothing. He won’t forgive her for keeping Pacific Wellcare a secret and he won’t talk to her except to ask for his stuff back, which she won’t give back.

Charlotte had tried everything and she failed and now she had to get over it. She was trying, trying to forget him and the only time in her life when everything felt right. The truth is that she’s in love with him and will probably always be in love with him, but right now she’s trying to pretend that she never met him.

But she can’t and that makes her sick to her stomach, literarily. When she walks into her practice on opening day and smells the French vanilla coffee, she veers left and promptly makes her way to the bathroom to puke into a porcelain toilet bowl.

“Opening day, yay,” she says warily, while picking herself off the bathroom floor.


	2. Chapter 2

**Part Two**

It was opening day for Pacific Wellcare, still. A box of her belongings were sitting in front of her and her garbage smelled like vomit because she had been puking all day and Cooper…

She let out a growl of frustration. _I am not pregnant._ _The nerve of him._

He just automatically assumed that because she was puking, she had to be pregnant. She was on the pill, dammit. She could practically hear his stupid annoying voice in her head. She shook her head in an effort to get his voice out of her head. It worked for a bit, but that didn’t really matter because she was still feeling queasy.

She felt the now familiar burn of acid at the back of her throat and ran to the trashcan as fast as she could. She couldn’t keep anything down today. She couldn’t control anything in her life, not even her body. A wave of emotion hit her and she felt like crying, maybe even screaming a little, but Charlotte fought for control. Just like she always did.

0oo0oo0

She was exhausted, even more so than she usually was. Today was no different than any other day. No major problems or emergencies and she was sleeping at night, so she really shouldn’t be this tired. She sighed and shuffled wearily to the elevator only to have the crap scared out of her by Cooper.

“God, Cooper. Stop doing that.”

Cooper just grinned at her. “How are you feeling?”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “I’m on the pill.”

“You’re a doctor. You know that’s not 100 percent,” he pointed out.

“Cooper, I would know if I was pregnant,” she snapped. _Wouldn’t I?_

He gave her a pointed look. “Cranky.”

She rolled her eyes and stepped onto the elevator. “I’m always cranky.”

He smiled a little, not a lot, but just enough to make her stomach flutter. In a good way.

“Glowing,” he said.

“I’m always glowing. Now please stop stalking me and my womb.”

And then the elevator doors slid shut. She yawned loudly and was thankful no one else was around to see her like this. She thought about what Cooper said and had been saying all day. The man was damned annoying, but there was a very, very small sliver of a chance that he could be right.

0oo0oo0

When Charlotte came into work that morning she was noticeably more irritable than usual, queasy and armed with pregnancy tests. In her office she put the tests aside and dived right into work, barking orders and trying to steal as many patients as she could from Oceanside. She really hoped that pissed them off. She liked watching them fume over her success. She was a damn fine director.

By midday, the practice was in order, everything was running smoothly and she was finally had enough time to find Cooper and take the test.

She marched into Oceanside, noting how empty it was. This made her smile. She had a mean side. So what?

“Your paranoia is contagious,” she growled at Cooper.

Cooper turned to face her and cocked an eyebrow in question.

“I have sticks and I intended to pee on them,” she explained. Then she gave him one of her famous death glares. She felt a little satisfaction when he flinched. “And if your boys swam through my weeds and got me pregnant, I’m gonna make you suffer every step of the way.”

“Okay.” And that was it. That was all he said. Maybe he wanted this. Maybe she wanted this.

It didn’t take long to do the test and now they were just waiting. She really shouldn’t have been surprised when Cooper spoke about parenthood and their could-be-child with such warmth. He was a pediatrician for god’s sakes. She realized then that Cooper would actually be there for _her_ every step of the way. They could be together again.

She smiled at Cooper and told him that the baby would be a girl. As they chatted on she had another realization of sorts. Yes, they could be together, but it wouldn’t be real. He would never forgive. Their whole relationship would be a lie. Who was she kidding? She could never be good enough for Cooper. Cooper was practically a saint and she was a bitch, a cold hearted bitch, or at least that’s what people called her.

And how was she supposed to tell Cooper that she had miscarried once already? There was a very good chance that even if she was pregnant the baby wouldn’t even make it.

So fate wasn’t intervening, stepping in and bringing them back together. There was no magic and love didn’t heal all wounds. It was time for her to face the facts and really, really try to get over Cooper.

“So?” Cooper said eagerly.

She gave him a nervous smile and then looked down. “It’s negative,” she said in a detached tone. “I’m not pregnant.” She threw the test stick in the trashcan and then walked out.

She put on her brave face and trudged past patients and doctors in her practice. Her office seemed like a sanctuary, despite the transparent walls. She closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose.

_I’m pregnant._


	3. Chapter 3

**Part Three**

Charlotte was standing outside of Dr. Addison Montgomery’s office. She had an appointment. Montgomery didn’t know it was for her exactly, but she needed a good doctor and Addison was the best. She had seen the woman work miracles with other mothers and their babies, born and unborn. She might just need a miracle too.

It was early in the morning. Cooper wasn’t in yet. She checked. It was officially over between them. She told him it was food poisoning. He told her he never wanted to see her again. See? Everything worked out fine.

She leaned against the wall and closed her eyes. _What time do these people work?_ Charlotte was used to being early to everything and was disgusted when others did not follow suit.

“Dr. King? What are you doing here?”

“Mmm. Good mornin’ to you too.” She opened her eyes to see Addison Montgomery standing in front of her. “You gonna invite me in?” She said while gesturing to Addison’s office.

“Uh, sure?” The redhead was a little confused. “But you should know I have a patient coming in soon, so…”

“I’m your patient,” she announced and then walked into the office.

“Okay,” Addison said slowly. She nodded her head a few times trying to make sense of this before offering Charlotte a seat. “Everything okay?”

“I’m pregnant.” There she said it.

Addison’s eyes widened. “Oh.”

Then there was silence.

Charlotte stared ahead unflinchingly.

 “When did you last menstruate?” Addison finally asked.

“Uh, five or six weeks ago. It’s pretty irregular.”

“We’ll do your first ultrasound today then.”

“I want you to be my doctor,” Charlotte said, just to make it clear. She reached into her trendy little briefcase and pulled out a manila folder. “Here’s all of my records, all the proper papers and forms are right there.”

Addison took the folder and skimmed through. She figured she’d save the redhead some time and told her, “I’ve miscarried before.”

Addison nodded and muttered the words, “High risk pregnancy.” They spent some more time detailing the failure of her last pregnancy before Addison led her to the to an exam room for an ultra sound. She felt a little lost, nervous too and when Addison put a hand on the small of her back to guide her, she jumped. If Addison noticed she didn’t say anything.

“Okay, why don’t you hop up on the table?”

She nodded and did as she was told. She stayed silent through the whole procedure. The gel was cold and she wished Cooper was there and she may have been the tiniest bit scared, but whatever. She was Charlotte King, Director of Pacific Wellcare Center and Chief of Staff at St. Ambrose. She could handle this.

“There we are,” Addison said.

She couldn’t look at the screen. She didn’t want to see it. Something that was half her, half Cooper. She couldn’t look at something that might just disappear in a few weeks. She never allowed herself to have hope, not until she met Cooper and look where that got her. So she turned her head and looked out the window on the other side of the room.

“Charlotte, don’t you want to see your baby?”

She didn’t answer. “Is it healthy?” She asked instead.

Addison sighed. “If you looked on the screen, you could see for yourself.”

She kept up her façade of stony silence until the redhead gave in.

“Everything looks fine. We’re going to have to monitor you closely. I want to see you here weekly. I want to put you on a new diet and I want you to start seeing Pete.”

“Why? What could he possibly do for me?”

“Stress management,” the redhead said flatly.

She gave in. “Fine.”

Addison handed her a towel and she wiped the cold gel off of her stomach, being careful not to get any on her clothes.

Addison stood back and watched Charlotte with a worried expression on her face. “I think you should talk to Violet.”

“I don’t want to talk to Violet.”

“You should talk to someone.”

“No,” she said firmly.

“Charlotte.” Addison sighed. Clearly she was not going to win this battle. She typed in Charlotte’s name on the screen and pressed print.

“You can’t tell Cooper.”

“You have to tell him. This is his baby too.”

“Montgomery,” she warned. “Just keep your mouth shut.” She glared at the redhead and then hopped off the table.

Addison smiled at this, picked up the picture and tried to give it to her. She batted Addison’s hand away.

“I can tell you’re going to be lots of fun,” Addison said as she watched the blonde give her a particularly vicious scowl.

“Hush up and tell me where your bathroom is. I gotta puke again. You’re making me sick with all your niceness.”

“Down the hall, on your left.”

Charlotte didn’t puke. She didn’t go to the bathroom at all. She just left. The baby was fine. She was fine. That’s all she needed to know.

And as luck would have it, when the elevator doors slide open she came face to face with Cooper. _Great._

“Morning sunshine.” He said. She hated him right now. She was dead tired and pretty sure she looked like shit, while he was all bright and shiny.

“Mornin’,” she grumbled and then pushed her way past him.

“Whoa, whoa.” Cooper held the elevator open. “Hold on there. Are you still sick?”

She chewed on her bottom lip. “I’m fine.”

“Okay,” he said and left it at that. They weren’t together anymore. Remember? They weren’t obligated to care.

But Cooper still cared.

Charlotte resumed her day as normal. There were only a few minor crises at St. Ambrose and the practice was running smoothly. She was actually able to see patients today. Real live patients. But by the end of the day she was overly exhausted and could not keep her eyes open. In fact, she even fell asleep at her desk, on top of piles of paperwork.

She was sleeping, dreaming of clouds and cribs and little pink blankets and then suddenly she wasn’t. Someone was shaking her

“Dr. King.”

“What?” She said without opening her eyes.

“Charlotte.”

She finally opened her eyes and was surprised to see Pete Wilder standing in front of her. Maybe she was still dreaming. He did look pretty hot after all.

She lifted her head up off of her desk and addressed him. “Hello quack.”

He gave her a tired smile, but there was still a hint of amusement in his eyes. “Addison sent me,” he said. “You kind of ran out on her this morning. She wasn’t done, by the way.”

She gave him no response, but he just kept on talking.

“She wanted you to see me today. I think it’s a good idea. You can come in twice a week and…”

“I don’t have time for that,” she said matter-of-factly.

“Well, you have to make time. This isn’t just about you anymore. You’re having a baby, Charlotte and you’re high risk.” He put a box of tea on her desk. “We’ll start with something easy. Chamomile tea.” He gestured to the box. “It will help you relax. Drink this instead of coffee and before sleeping.”

She looked at the box suspiciously. She really didn’t like tea. It tasted like flowery crap.

“Fine. What else do you want me to do?”

Pete opened his mouth and then closed it. He had expected protesting and possibly name-calling. He didn’t expect Charlotte to give in so easily.

Charlotte raised a perfectly arched eyebrow at his speechlessness. “Are all you Oceanside people this incompetent?”

“Uh, no.”

“So, what else do you want me to do?” Charlotte was getting a little annoyed.

“Just to go home and get a good night’s sleep and then come in tomorrow to see me.”

“Fine. Just go, will ya?”

Pete nodded and walked out the door and then came back. “Oh and Charlotte, congratulations.”

“Thank you.” And she meant it.


	4. Chapter 4

**Part Four**

It was a week and four days since her first visit with Addison. She was drinking the stupid tea, eating healthy foods, doing those ridiculous breathing exercises whenever she felt overwhelmed and taking short naps in her office whenever she could.

She still hadn't looked up at the ultra sound screen and she still hadn't told Cooper. Today she was feeling a little different, not bad, just different. Today she had decided to eat out for lunch. She was craving Greek food and there was this great little place down the street that served the most mouthwatering gyros.

As she made her way down the street a storefront caught her eye. A gorgeous handcrafted mahogany crib sat in the store's display case. For some reason she wanted to take it home. She wasn't really sure why, but she just did.

The store, as it turned out, catered to expectant mothers and babies. She stood in front of the store an admired the crib a little longer while.

"Charlotte?"

She jumped in surprise and then turned around. Standing behind her was Violet Turner, Cooper's impossible best friend.

"Oh…hello," she said nervously. She took once last look at the crib and then headed anywhere that wasn't near the therapist who hated her guts.

0oo0oo0

"You know, I think your ex is kind of nuts," Violet told Cooper.

Cooper looked up from his computer. "Yeah I know that."

Violet flopped down on the couch in his office. Cooper was not taking her seriously at all.

"Cooper," she whined. "She was staring at crib today. I swear to god, just standing in front of that Mommy and Me store staring at a crib.

He sighed, but said nothing else.

His silence piqued her interest. She leaned forward. "You know something, don't you?"

"It's between Charlotte and me."

"But it has something to do with a baby. Is she pregnant Coop? Is that why you've been so quite?"

Cooper closed out of the window he was working on and swiveled his chair towards her. "She's not pregnant."

"Oh." A pause. "Do you want me to talk to her? As a therapist," she added.

Cooper leaned back into his chair. "She's fine."

"Cooper she's not fine. She going all maternal on us."

"She was just looking at a crib," Cooper reasoned.

"That's not really normal for Charlotte."

She watched Cooper get up and leave and she knew immediately where he had gone. To Charlotte, always to Charlotte. Sometimes she wished she had never ratted the blonde out. Cooper and Charlotte probably would have still been together if not for her. And let's face it, apart those two were just dysfunctional people; together they were actually happy semi-normal people.

0oo0oo0

Cooper stood just outside of Charlotte's office. He was about to knock, but then thought better of it and just walked in. He was sincerely surprised to see Charlotte sleeping on her expensive black couch. Sleeping at work was a big no-no for her.

He crept closer and she let out a little moan in her sleep before turning onto her side. She looked beautiful, he thought. Very carefully, he leaned down and placed a kiss on her forehead. Charlotte let out an adorable little sigh and he smiled.

He looked at her once more and then turned away. There was something else wrong with this picture. On top on her desk sat a black traveler's coffee cup. He had dated Charlotte long enough to know that she only used disposable containers. It was easier to get rid of in an emergency, or at least that's what she told him. He shrugged his shoulders and took a sip. It would be a shame to waste it. He grimaced when he found out that it was not coffee he was drinking, but tea instead.

_Charlotte King does not drink tea._

He set the cup down and left immediately. Something was definitely wrong with Charlotte.

0oo0oo0

"I swear," Cooper exclaimed. "It was like I walked into some crazy eighth dimension."

"Coop, calm down," Violet told him.

He had just come back and they were in the break room because he needed something to wash down that horrible tea with. He poured himself a cup of coffee and continued to rant to his best friend.

"She was sleeping! In her office!"

Violet reached over and poured herself a cup of coffee too. "I know it's hard to believe, but Charlotte's not a robot. She does need to sleep."

"In her office?" He gave Violet a pointed look.

"Okay, that's a little strange."

"And she was drinking tea Vi, tea! She hates tea. She thinks it tastes like flowery crap."

"She is a coffee drinker," Violet agreed.

Just then Addison walked in catching the end of the conversation. "Who's a coffee drinker?" The redhead asked.

"Apparently not Charlotte," Cooper grumbled.

"Cooper snuck into Charlotte's office found her asleep on her couch and then tried to steal her coffee only to find out it was tea. Now he's freaking out," Violet explained.

"I am not freaking out," Cooper said unconvincingly.

"Uh, huh," Addison said hesitantly. She refilled her mug and then left without saying anything, which was weird because the redhead liked good gossip.

Cooper turned to Vi. "That was weird right?" He asked her. "Tell me that was weird. Addison was all nervous. Why would she be nervous?"

"Yeah, that was weird," Violet agreed.

"This all adds up to something Vi. Baby crib, sleeping, tea and a nervous Addison." He thought about it for a second and then he knew exactly what was going on. And apparently so did Violet because at the same time they both said…

"She's pregnant!"

"So what are you going to do?" Violet asked.

He let out an exasperated sighed. "I don't know. I never wanted to see her again."

Violet snorted. "That's a lie."

He glared at her.

Violet shrugged her shoulders. "Well, it is." She sighed. "How do you really feel about her?"

"I love her Vi."

"Do you forgive her?" Violet asked.

Cooper bit his bottom lip. "I don't know."

"Oh, come on. She's a shark. You knew that before you got into a relationship with her."

"You don't even like her." He accused.

"I don't have to like her. I just know that you were happier when you were with her. And besides even when you're not with her all you do is rant and rave about her."

"I do not."

"Okay, then what were we talking about his morning?"

"Charlotte," he admitted.

"And who are we talking about now?"

"Charlotte. Okay I see your point." He drained the last of his coffee and then left. Violet had a patient to see anyways and he had to find out if Charlotte really was pregnant. She should have a file here, if Addison is her doctor. Why else would the redhead be so nervous?

Dell was missing from his post at the front desk, which was perfect. Stealth did not come naturally to looked around and then dropped to the ground behind the desk. He opened the filing cabinet, fingered though a few files before locating Charlotte's. It was actually pretty thick. He found notes from Pete from when Charlotte couldn't sleep, before finding notes detailing Charlotte's visits with Addison. He was right. She was pregnant, but she was also high risk. That part worried him.

He knew he should be furious with her for lying to him, but he couldn't suppress the happiness he felt for her and himself.

Someone cleared their throat behind him and he looked up to see Dell standing above him.

"I'll get out of your domain. Sorry."

0oo0oo0

Charlotte was having the strangest craving for tuna, hot sauce and pickles. She found the tuna, but her practice didn't seem to have any hot sauce or pickles. She frowned at the tuna sandwich sitting on the plate in front of her. The hot sauce and pickles still didn't appear, but someone else did.

Cooper walked through her office door as she was frowning at the tuna sandwich sitting on her desk.

"Did that sandwich do something to you?" He asked.

"No it's just missing something." She looked up to see him carrying a giant stuffed giraffe in his arms. There was a pink bow tied around the creature's neck.

"Oh, yeah. What's it missing?" He asked.

"Hot sauce and pickles," she answered unfazed by his disgusted expression. She pointed to the stuffed animal. "What's that?"

"A giraffe." He put it on her desk. "Hot sauce and pickles? Really?"

"I'm hungry." She picked up the giraffe. "For me?"

"Yep. It's for the baby."

She dropped the giraffe. "Excuse me?" She frowned and then said. "Did Montgomery tell you?"

"No, but Violet told me that you were staring at a crib this morning."

Charlotte crossed her arms. "It had great craftsmanship. I was just admiring it."

"And you're drinking tea."

"I love that stuff." She had a little trouble saying that with a straight face and Cooper picked up on it.

"And you were sleeping in your office when I came in this morning."

"Late night?"

"And your file says you're high risk. And that you've miscarried before."

Her lip trembled just a little when he mentioned the miscarriage and this too did not go unnoticed. "You had no right to look at my file," she snapped.

"It's my baby too. You did not make it by yourself and you are not asexual despite what people say."

"People say I'm asexual?"

"That or that they totally want to do you," Cooper said with a grin. "I'm talking about a huge amount of guys."

"Lot's of guys, huh?" She tried not to smile or seem amused.

"Some girls too. Violet totally digs you."

She let out a huff of laughter. "Shut up."

"Anyways," Cooper continued. "I came here to congratulate you, well us really. I don't even care that you lied to me, because that's such a Charlotte thing to do. And most importantly, I'm going to be here for you whether you like it or not."

Charlotte stood and gave him her famous death glare. "No you will not. You've made it clear that you don't want to be with me. You told me to go to hell, remember? You can't just come in here with your sweeping gallant gestures…you just can't! You only care about the baby, not me. Just go away, okay?"

"I'm not going away. I care about you, Charlotte, so you're going to have to deal with it." Cooper walked out and left her alone to think on what he said.

She sighed and stared at the stuffed creature he had left on her desk. It really was thoughtful of him. She always wondered how a guy she found on the Internet could turn out to be so…so sweet. She loved him, there was no doubt about that and he loved the baby she was carrying.

She placed a hand on her stomach, picked up the giraffe and held it in her other arm. "Look what your daddy gave you."

She couldn't make Cooper go away. She didn't want him to. She missed him, but she just had to know if he really loved her and not just the fact that she was carrying his child. He did say that he cared about her.

Later that day she went back to that store and bought the crib. At least she had hope now.


	5. Chapter 5

**Part Five**

Charlotte was in for her weekly appointment with Addison and she wasn't looking at the screen again, but she was talking, which was new.

"I'm painting the nursery yellow. It's a neutral color," she drawled.

Addison was surprised that Charlotte was actually making conversation. "You're almost out of the woods. Eight weeks. Your chances of miscarriage are-."

"Decreasing. I know Montgomery. Anyways," Charlotte continued. "I think I'm going to do a giraffe theme."

Addison moved the probe just a bit. "Giraffes?"

"I like them,' she said defensively.

"Let's see. We've got a head and arms and legs. Oh, and look at those cute little fingers. Come on, look at the fetus."

Charlotte didn't bite. "The painters are coming tomorrow. I want to get the nursery done early. I don't think I'll have any time to-."

Cooper burst through the door before she could finish the sentence. "Did I miss anything?"

She shot up and looked at Cooper in horror. "Oh, my God. Did you invite him," she asked Addison.

"I invited myself," Cooper said cheerily.

She lay back down and groaned. "Go away, Cooper."

"This is my baby too. I have a right to stay. Don't I get a say in this Addison?"

Addison wisely stayed said nothing.

Cooper moved to her side and reached for her hand without her permission before looking at the screen. "So what do we have here?" He looked at his child for the first time and smiled.

Charlotte couldn't help herself now. She just had to look. "Oh," she said. And then she smiled.

After her appointment she let herself into the Oceanside break room and helped herself to the last brownie in the container sitting on the island countertop.

Violet walked in, looked into the container and then frowned when she saw Charlotte munching on the brownie.

Charlotte shrugged and turned to the fridge to look for some milk to wash the brownie down with.

"Having cravings," the therapist asked behind her.

She snapped around quickly. "Did Cooper tell you?"

Violet leaned back on the island and crossed her arms over her chest. "I can figure things out for myself."

She gave Violet a curt nod before returning to the fridge. She could hear the therapist rustling around the cabinets next to her. A moment later she was handed a glass for her milk. "Thanks."

"No problem."

She could still feel Violet's eyes on her as she poured the milk. She didn't like being observed.

Violet sighed loudly and she finally looked directly at the therapist. "I know you hate me," Violet said.

"Hate's a bit strong. Dislike is more accurate."

"Okay. I know you dislike me, but if you ever need to talk…"

"I don't need a shrink."

Violet rolled her eyes. "Clearly."

Charlotte raised a perfectly arched eyebrow. "Excuse me?" She glared at the therapist and resisted the urge to throw her milk all over the woman.

"Will you at least talk to Cooper?"

Cooper walked in before she could respond.

"Look! Look!" He said while waving a slip of paper in the air. It was a scan; apparently Addison gave it to him since she wouldn't take it herself. "Vi, look! That's my kid!"

"I can see it just fine Coop," the therapist said while grinning. It may have been Charlotte's baby, but it was also her best friend's baby too. In short, Violet already loved the kid.

Charlotte watched Cooper and Violet bent over the scan of her baby for a moment longer before slipping out. Too much concentrated happiness in one place.

0oo0oo0

Charlotte was starting a new day, with a new attitude. This baby that she made, she loved it. And she would deal with pregnancy and Cooper's intrusive behavior. She could do this and that's exactly what she told herself this morning when she was giving herself a pep talk in the bathroom mirror. Not that she needed a pep talk.

She had an appointment with Pete this morning and she was prompt as always and in this case maybe a little to prompt. She hated waiting in the lobby like a…well, like a patient. She nodded to the surfer boy, Dell she recalled, and took a seat in the dreaded lobby.

She strummed her fingers along the armrest restlessly, before leaning towards the coffee table in front of her to examine the magazines it displayed. None of them interested her, but to be fair none of the issues were old.

Tired of waiting, though she hadn't been waiting long, Charlotte stood and went to the back of the practice and wandered around. She passed Montgomery's office to find it empty; she peered into Pete's and found that he was still with a patient and she paused by Violet's office. She had never seen the therapist in action, but she had a very hard time stealing patients away from Violet, so she must be decent, if not good at her job.

She sucked a breath of air in as Violet's eyes rose to meet hers. She wanted to move, but that might seem like she was backing down and Charlotte King did not back down. Violet arched an eyebrow in question as she continued to hold the therapist's gaze. She rolled her eyes and then continued on to Cooper's office.

His office happened to be empty, but exam room one was not. Cooper was in with a baby girl and her mother. Cooper spotted her before she could get out of his viewing range.

"Dr. King, what a wonderful surprise." He rocked the baby in his arms a bit.

The mother stood and asked if Dr. Freedman could watch Janie, the baby, while she went to the restroom. Once they were alone Cooper grinned at her.

"So why are you here Charlotte?"

"I'm a patient today, Wilder's."

"Ahh," he said sagaciously.

She stepped closer to Cooper and eyed the little pink bundle in his arms. "She's small." She silently cursed herself for having a more witty remark.

He stepped closer. "Want to hold her?"

She nodded and opened her arms to receive the bundle. She looked down at the baby's cherubic face with its diminutive features and held her breath in awe. The baby cooed and then stretched out it's little hand to flex its tiny fingers in her direction.

She smiled softly at the infant in her arms.

"It's great isn't it," Cooper said.

She didn't answer him, being too wrapped up in her own little baby world, but Cooper took that as a good sign and crept closer to kiss her. This of course was poor planning on Cooper's part. She was trying to experience motherhood and he was trying to push her too fast. Charlotte was on the defense, so she stepped back at the last second and gave him a warning glare.

"Try that again and you will wake up tomorrow with no eyebrows," she threatened.

He threw his hands up in surrender and backed up a few steps. "Okay, no touching."

Wordlessly, she handed the baby back and left. She was going to be late for her appointment anyways. She picked up speed, nearly knocking Violet over on her way out.

Cooper sighed as he watched her leave.

"What was that?" Violet asked him.

He let out an exasperated sigh and racked his hands through his hair. "Charlotte not letting me in."

0oo0oo0

Charlotte was practicing the new breathing exercises she had just learned from her visit with Pete this morning in her office at St. Ambrose. Regrettably she still had to deal with that incident that went on with Cooper this morning. She was wondering when he would come and find her. She was pretty sure she had upset him just a little.

Her office door opened as she finished the thought and she looked up.

_Speak of the devil._

"Coop, I'm working. Go away."

He held up the Styrofoam container of soup he was carrying. "Hungry?"

She wanted to say no, but she  _was_ hungry and she did like soup. "Bring it here."

She had hoped he would have gotten the hint and left after, but to her dismay all he did was sit and look at her expectantly.

"Didn't I say go away?" She said frostily.

"I'm not here to see you, I here to see the baby."

"It's in my womb. And in case you don't know, you're going to have to wait a while to see the little guy."

"You're just trying to deprive me of some quality time with my child," he jokingly accused.

"What are-."

He cut her off to begin a conversation with her fetus. "So Walter or Marjorie, how have you been?" He paused, pretending to listen. "Yeah, it is good in there. No, trust me I've been in there."

She rolled her eyes. "And you'll never be in there again."

"You're mommy is really harsh, but she's a nice lady. You'll like her." He met her eyes before beginning again. "So have you been getting enough to eat Jr.?"

"More than enough," Charlotte answered.

"That's good."

"Okay, you've talked to our kid. Now, go away," she ordered.

He put a hand up to silence her. "I'm just getting started," he said. "Okay Jr., are you getting enough sleep at night?"

"Jr. is sleeping through the nights just fine. Now, if you don't go now I will personally make sure that this is the last offspring you will ever be able to produce."

"Okay, going now," he said hurriedly. "Enjoy your soup."

0oo0oo0

Days later:

Scared, frightened, terrified, petrified. Those were the feelings that were running through her mind as she looked down to see blood on her panties.

It started off as a perfectly normal day. She was working, seeing patients and doing paperwork. Then she went to the bathroom and found the blood.

She pulled her panties back up and stepped out of the stall. It was stifling in that little cubicle and she was staring to hyperventilate.

_This cannot be happening again._

She was pretty sure she was miscarrying. She could feel hot tears spilling down her cheeks as she struggled to suppress the sobs that threatened to escape her throat. She briefly wondered if Cooper would hate her for this.

With shaking hands she pulled out her cell phone and dialed Addison's number.

"Dr. Montgomery speaking."

"Montgomery," she whispered in a voice thick with tears.

"Charlotte?" The redhead recognized her number on caller ID.

Charlotte tried to catch her breath long enough to talk. "I n-need…help."

"Okay, okay. Shh, it's okay. Tell me where you are."

Ten minutes later, found Charlotte lying on her back in the maternity suite getting an ultrasound.

"Everything looks good," Addison told her. "Charlotte your baby is fine. Spotting is normal during pregnancy, but given your history you made the right decision calling me. Everything's okay."

The redhead smiled down at her, but the smile was soon replaced with worry. She had not stopped crying since she came here. "Charlotte look at the screen. Look at that strong heartbeat."

Sure enough, when she looked at the screen the baby looked fine, but that only made her cry harder.

That's the thing about Charlotte. She doesn't cry, in fact she hates it, so she tries to avoid it and hold the tears back whenever she feels them coming on. Then after going long periods without crying or expressing such extreme emotions she just explodes and everything comes out. All the fury, and the sorrow and the tears. Everything is out in the open and she's left vulnerable. And worst of all she just can't stop herself.

_Spotting! Damn Spotting!_

"Sweetie," the redhead soothed. "You're fine. Your baby's fine."

There was a knock on the door and Violet popped her head in. "Um…I could hear crying," she explained sheepishly.

Addison handed Charlotte a cloth to wipe the gel off her stomach. Once the gel was gone she curled up on her side and closed her eyes. The sobbing quieted, to almost controllable.

"Is she okay?" Violet whispered to Addison.

"She thought she miscarried, but the baby is fine, thank god." The redhead paused to look back at the crying Charlotte. "She hasn't stopped crying since she called me."

Violet nodded and formulated a plan in her head. "Go call Cooper. I'll talk to her. The father of her child told me I had to watch out for her when he was away."

The redhead nodded and left.

Charlotte had missed the entire conversation, too caught up in her own grief.

"Charlotte," Violet said softly to her. She jumped when the therapist put a hand on her back too rub her gently. "Charlotte, everything is okay. Your baby is alive and healthy."

"I know," she whispered.

"Then why are you still crying? Are you happy? Are these tears of joy?"

"I'm not crying for this baby. I'm crying for the one I lost and I don't need a shrink!"

"Then talk to me as a friend. You need those, don't you?"

"No," she whined.

Violet nudged her back gently.

"Fine, yes," she agreed. She wiped a few tears away from her face. She had almost stopped crying. "I didn't love the father of the first child I carried. He didn't even know. He wouldn't have cared. I was a med student and I was alone and I was scared."

"Charlotte," Violet said firmly. "You're a very successful doctor and you are not alone, you have Cooper, and you have nothing to be scared of. The baby is fine. The past is the past for a reason. It's not going to repeat itself. You're a different woman now. Remember that. You can do this and you have Cooper and me and the rest of the Oceanside gang to help you."

She stopped crying completely and managed to turn around and offer a small smile to her new friend. "Damn you're good. No, wonder I could never steal any of your patients."

"Um, thank you," Violet said, feeling kind of confused.

0oo0oo0

It was hours after the miscarriage scare and Charlotte was home, standing in front of her newly painted nursery. The solitary crib with the giraffe sitting inside it stood in the middle of the nursery for now. The walls were a soft buttery yellow with baby giraffes stenciled in. She smiled until her stomach grumbled and then headed to the kitchen.

What Violet had said had stuck with her and she was feeling better. She felt like a weight had been lifted, like she could finally move on. She didn't have to be scared or alone.

The doorbell rang and she changed her course for the front door. Cooper was standing on her front steps with a bag of something in his hands.

"Don't close the door," he told her.

"And why shouldn't I?"

"Because I love you." He said these words so softly that she knew he meant them. "And because I have food."

She still didn't move to let him in.

"Hamburgers and fries and for dessert…" he took out a clear plastic container and she spied the decadent chocolate cake sitting inside. She moved out of the way and he walked in.

Cooper headed straight to the kitchen got out plates and utensils and set the table for the both of them. She watched him do all this, mildly pleased that he was doing this just for her.

"Well, come on, eat," Cooper urged her.

She obliged. She picked up the juicy burger that sat on her plate, took a bite and moaned.

Cooper raised an eyebrow. "Good?"

"Very good"

He let a few moments pass, so he could watch her eat. For being such a petite person, he was impressed by her eating prowess.

"Heard you had a little scare today," he brought up, trying to be nonchalant. Violet and Addison had told him everything. He knew her well enough to leave her alone for a few hours while she sorted everything out.

"I did," she said carefully.

"Are you okay?"

She sighed. "I don't know."

He tried to reassure him. "Addison said everything was fine."

"It is. Our baby is perfectly healthy." She put a hand on her stomach.

He grinned at her. "I knew we had superior offspring."

She smiled¸ feeling happier with each passing moment in his presence. "Thanks for coming."

"You think I would let you go through this alone? You need me."

"You need me," she shot back.

"Yes," he chuckled. "I do."

After dinner she showed Cooper the nursery because she didn't know what else to do. He smiled when he saw that the theme was giraffes.

"It's nice," he commented.

She watched him walk up to her and stare at her stomach. She wasn't showing much, but she couldn't really fit into her pants anymore so she was wearing only dresses. He reached forward with his hand.

"Touch my belly and you pull back a stub," she warned.

He stepped closer to her and captured her face in his hands instead. "Then what can I touch?" He traced his thumb lightly over her lips and then kissed her.

"Um." She was out of words.

He wrapped his arms around her and continued to kiss her, slowly and deeply. She moaned her approval.

He pulled back for a moment and said, "I'm sorry."

"You didn't do anything wrong. I'm the one who didn't tell you about the practice."

"No, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I didn't forgive you because I do forgive you. I'm an idiot for letting you go, but I'm not letting you go anymore. Charlotte, I've never loved anyone the way I love you. You can be so infuriating and you shut me out half the time, but you're also sweet in your own weird way, and caring even though you won't admit to it. Your sense of humor is a little twisted, but still enjoyable and you're the smartest, most ambitious woman I've ever met and I'll admit that's a little intimidating, but you make me so proud. And did I mention that you're probably the most beautiful woman I've ever laid eyes on?" He paused and took a steadying breath. "Charlotte King, I love you."

She started to tear up during the middle of his speech, but she was blaming it on the pregnancy hormones and the stress of the day she had.

"I love you too," she whispered.

That afternoon she asked him to stay the night and he did. She woke up in the morning with his warm naked body snuggled up against her's. In her mind she officially decided to let Cooper in to all aspects of her life.


	6. Chapter 6

**Part Six: Epilogue**

Charlotte was a month away from her due date. Cooper had moved in with her a week after that faithful night and the nursery was completely finished. Right now, she was in the middle of her baby shower, thrown by Violet.

She was surrounded by blue balloons and streamers and the Oceanside gang. She didn't really have friends of her own, but as the months had gone on, the people at Oceanside slowly became something like friends to her. They each looked after her in their own way and in return for their kindness she stopped stealing patients away from them. Well, there may have been one or two that she took, but whatever.

"So what are you going to name him?" Addison asked.

She looked at Cooper who was sitting beside her on the couch with an arm wrapped around her.

"Yeah, what's his name going to be," Dell piqued up. Surfer boy gave her a bashful smile before picking up his daughter Betsy.

The rest of them Pete, Violet, Sam and Naomi who had recently gotten back together and their daughter Maya all waited in anticipation.

"His name," she began. "Is Walter Freedman."

"That's a good name," Pete said. Everyone else echoed his approval.

Violet stood from her spot on the couch on the other side of Cooper and surveyed the coffee table topped with unwrapped gifts. "I think that's all," Violet said.

"No," Cooper said while he reached behind the couch. "No, I have one more gift, but this one's just for you Char." He pulled out a box wrapped in silver paper and tied with a white bow.

She took the box eagerly, maybe too eagerly because she earned herself a couple of chuckles. What could she say? She just liked getting gifts.

She untied the bow, ripped off the paper and took the top off the box. Inside was a smaller box, a palm-sized blue velvet box. She looked at Cooper and then picked it up. The room went silent.

"Well open it," Cooper urged.

And she did. Sitting in the box was a beautiful diamond ring. She was speechless. All she could do was look at it with wide green eyes and an open mouth. Cooper smiled softly as he took the box from her and kneeled before her.

"Charlotte Louisa King, will you make me the happiest man in the world and marry me?"

"Y-yes," she sputtered. And then with more enthusiasm she said, "I wanna marry you!"

He slipped the ring on her finger, pulled her into his embrace and kissed her thoroughly.

Hours later, when the shower was over and everyone had congratulated her and Cooper, they stood in the nursery watching the sun set through the windows. He was standing behind her, with his arms wrapped around her and his chin resting on her shoulder.

She felt one of his hands move down to rub her swollen belly.

"Do you think he'll be small and puny like you?" He asked her.

She laughed. "I'm not small and puny. I'm just petite."

"I hope he's smart like you," Cooper said.

She smiled. "I hope he has your sense of humor."

The sky turned another shade of pink and somewhere in the distance an owl hooted.

"Coop?"

"Yeah?"

"I've never been happier."

"Me neither."

 


End file.
